Maddie Finds Out
by piratewench78
Summary: I wondered why Maddie would have gone looking for something after she talked to Rayna and then, once she went to see Deacon, what happened then.


**This is my first try at fanfic. I found myself wondering after the finale what led Maddie to look for something in her mother's room. And then I wondered what happened after she told Deacon she thought he was her father.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or anything else on Nashville.**

Maddie walked down the hall to her mother's room. She could hear her talking on the phone and as she got to the slightly open door, she heard Rayna say "You know what? I love you." Maddie frowned and then stepped in.

"Mom?"

Rayna quickly shut off her phone and looked at Maddie. "Hey."

"Who were you talking to?"

"Were you just standing there eavesdropping?"

"No, but I heard you say 'I love you'."

Rayna took a breath and then said "Why don't you come sit?" and patted the seat next to her. Maddie walked over and sat down stiffly next to her mother. "Um, I was talking to Deacon." Maddie raised her eyebrows but said nothing. "Since you heard all that, uh, I want you to know we're seeing each other."

"You used to date him. Right before you married Dad." Rayna nodded. "Is that why Dad got so mad when he saw Deacon here?"

Rayna sighed. "You know, hon, all this stuff you're asking me about's really grown up stuff. And it's private. And I want you to trust me that when I think you're old enough, I'm going to tell you all about it."

Maddie didn't reply at first. This whole business with her parents' divorce, and first her dad having another relationship and now this with her mom, was really upsetting. She really liked Deacon a lot but it felt too soon. "Ok," she finally said and got up and left.

Back in her room, Maddie stewed over this latest bit of information. She felt like there was something her mother was holding back, but she couldn't figure out what it would be. She knew that her mom and Deacon had had a relationship before her parents got married, but it seemed a little quick to her that they would already be saying "I love you". She didn't know that they had been dating, just that Deacon had come over for dinner the night before. But her mom hadn't said anything about them dating then. And, of course, when her dad had stopped by to drop off her soccer gear, it was clear that he wasn't happy to see Deacon there.

Maddie wasn't sure what she was going to do, but she didn't want to wait for her mother to tell her more about the relationship. The fact that she wouldn't just tell her now made her feel like she was hiding something.

That night Rayna was going to the Grand Ole Opry to introduce Scarlett, Deacon's niece. A babysitter was staying with Maddie and Daphne, even though Maddie felt like she could babysit for her sister. But since she was going to be out late, Rayna wanted someone else to be there.

Maddie had been thinking about what to do and late that afternoon, after her mother had left and when Daphne and the babysitter were engrossed in TV, she had quietly gone back into her mother's room. She went into the closet and started looking around. She wasn't entirely sure what she was looking for, but she wondered if maybe there were some love letters between her mom and Deacon, something that would help her understand the relationship. Buried deep in one of the back cubbyholes was a metal box that looked like it might hold important papers. Or mementos and keepsakes. Maddie opened it and saw papers and immediately closed it, quickly walking to her room. She hid the box in her closet and decided that she would go through it after dinner.

Maddie closed her door and then locked it, just to be safe. She sat on her bed with the box. She felt butterflies in her stomach. In some ways it felt wrong to be doing this, but she wasn't sure exactly why she felt so apprehensive. She was hoping there would be something in here that would tell her more about her mother's relationship with Deacon, but didn't really know what that might be.

She took a deep breath and opened the box. She looked inside and was surprised that there really wasn't a lot in it. She pulled everything out and set the box on the floor. There was Daphne's birth certificate. Some contracts. Boring stuff. Her parents' marriage certificate. Then something she didn't understand. It was in an envelope and when she pulled out the contents, she could see that it was a paternity test. She frowned. As she read through it, though, she felt sick. It was not at all what she had expected to see. She picked up her phone and called her best friend Natalia. When Natalia answered, Maddie was sobbing. "Natalia?"

"Maddie, what's the matter? Are you ok?"

"Yeah, but, it's just that I found this paternity test." She cries for a moment. "I don't think my dad is my father."

"What?"

"I found a paternity test. On me. And it says that Dad isn't my father."

"Oh my God, Maddie. How can that be?"

Maddie was still crying and had to stop to get some air. "My mom was dating someone before she married my dad," she finally said. "And he must be my father."

"Do you know who it is?"

Maddie nodded. "Yes."

"What are you going to do? Are you going to tell your mom that you know?"

"I don't know. I don't know if I can talk to her right now. I mean, she lied to me! She's lied to me my whole life!" Just then Maddie heard Daphne calling her. "Natalia, I have to go. I'll talk to you tomorrow at school."

The next day Maddie could hardly look at her mom as she made breakfast for her and Daphne and got their lunches together. When Rayna told them that she was going to the CMA's that night with Deacon and confirmed that they were dating, Maddie felt sick to her stomach. She had hardly been able to sleep all night. She wondered why her mom had never told her that her dad wasn't really her dad. Had he known? And Deacon. She was sure that Deacon was her father. He had always been so good to her and Daphne. Had he known all this time? Why would no one have told her this? She went to school and told Natalia that she was going to go by after school to see the man she thought was her father. Natalia asked who he was, but Maddie wouldn't say.

After school, she went to the school office and asked if they would call her a cab. She had taken money to pay for it and on the ride over she kept imagining what this conversation would be like and what she would say. She was nervous as she got out of the cab and walked up the steps to Deacon Claybourne's porch. Apprehensively she reached out and knocked.

Deacon opened the door and looked surprised to see Maddie there. He looked around as though someone else should be there. "Hey. What are you doing here? You ok?" She looked distraught.

Maddie's stomach clenched. "I think…" She struggled with her words.

Deacon looked at her gently. "What is it?"

Just say it, Maddie thought to herself. "I think that you might be my father."

"What?" Deacon looked dumbfounded. He looked down at Maddie and she was crying now. Even though his mind was a whirlwind, he stepped back. "Come in, sweetheart." Maddie slowly walked in, looking scared. "Let's sit down." He motioned her to the couch and, after she sat down, he sat across from her. "I don't understand, Maddie."

Maddie looked at him pleadingly. "I found this report that said that my dad wasn't my father. I know that you and my mom were together right before they got married, so I think that means that you're my father. Are you?"

Deacon rubbed his hands over his face, not quite knowing what to say. His mind was racing and quickly calculating in his head. He and Rayna had split up 14 years earlier. She had left him and moved to an apartment. Much of the time between when she left and when she finally had Coleman check him into rehab that last time was a blur. But he couldn't remember being with her then. This couldn't be true. Could it?

He realized that Maddie was still looking at him, her face streaked with tears. "Maddie, I don't know if this is true. Have you talked to your mama about this?"

Maddie shook her head. "I'm too mad at her right now. Deacon, she lied to me all these years. And I guess she lied to you too!"

"Maddie, I think we need to talk to your mama first."

"Who else could it be?"

Deacon shook his head. "I don't know, sweetheart." He struggled to breathe. His own mind was racing. If Teddy really wasn't Maddie's father, could he be? He couldn't wrap his mind around the thought that Rayna, the love of his life, would lie to him about something this important. He reached out and took Maddie's hands in his. His daughter's? Could she be his daughter? He struggled to stay calm, but he knew it wouldn't help for him to unload on Maddie. "Maddie, I want you to go home. I'll talk to your mama and find out, okay?" Maddie nodded and wiped her face. He stood and she did as well. After a moment, he pulled her into an embrace. "I'm so sorry, honey. I know you're upset. But I'll get to the bottom of this, okay?"

Maddie looked up at him. "I don't know what to do."

"Maddie, I don't want you to say anything. Let me do the talking. Then we'll figure out what to do next." He walked her out to the cab that was still waiting and gave the driver some money and Rayna's address. He watched the cab drive away, Maddie staring at him out the back window. When the cab was out of sight, he walked back into the house and, with a roar, he flipped over the coffee table.


End file.
